MONTPELLIER, France (AP) Defending champion Richard Gasquet of France defeated Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Open Sud de France semifinals on Friday.
The top-seeded Gasquet, who is ranked 10th, took control of the first set - where he did not face a break point and secured a break of serve.
Baghdatis, an Australian Open runner-up in 2006 and Wimbledon semifinalist later that year, did better in the second set. But the 30-year-old, now ranked 53rd, could only convert one of his six chances on Gasquet's serve, while Gasquet took both of his.
''It's always delicate to play against a very good player who you've never beaten before, but I played a solid match,'' Gasquet said. ''I'm pleasantly surprised by my level of play, especially the way I was able to stay in the rallies.''
A three-time Grand Slam semifinalist, Gasquet is chasing his 13th career title and he next plays Germany's Dustin Brown, who won his quarterfinal against Ruben Bemelmans 6-3, 6-3.
Brown had four aces against Bemelmans, broke the Belgian player's serve four times and saved two break points when serving out the match.
Earlier, teenager Alexander Zverev beat Michael Berrer 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-5 in an all-German match to reach the last four.
The 18-year-old Zverev saved 16 of 18 break-points faced, including 10 in the third set, and won on his fifth match point.
''It wasn't easy to use all the chances because of (his) great play,'' said Zverev, who beat 2014 U.S. Open Marin Cilic in the second round. ''You can have an unbelievable day like I did against Marin. You don't have those days all the time, but I got the win.''
He next plays Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, who had 17 aces in a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 quarterfinal win against John Millman of Australia.